Sonia Mehta - Junior Lives Mahatma Gandhi

“Mehta reduces Gandhi’s life to its essentials providing a précis of everything that a child needs to know before he or she goes on to study the more complex details of Gandhi and the non-violent battle for Indian Independence.”

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

Sonia Mehta’s Junior Lives series began with Mother Teresa and has now moved logically onto Mahatma Gandhi. It is perhaps a good time to educate children on the life of the Father of the Nation.

Writing in a simple direct style, Mehta throws in stories like how Gandhi battled the Indian courts for the right to wear a turban in court, thus starting his long tradition of refusing to give in to laws that he felt violated a person’s essential rights. Facts that are guaranteed to arouse a child’s interest.

The text is illustrated and occasionally things like career altering letters are shown in letter form as part of the illustrative technique. This makes it easier for a child to take the facts in without getting bogged down by unnecessary details and dates.

Mehta reduces Gandhi’s life to its essentials providing a précis of everything that a child needs to know before he or she goes on to study the more complex details of Gandhi and the non-violent battle for Indian Independence.